The present invention relates to a vibration damper assembly which is employed in driving mechanisms such as a clutch for a manual transmission, a torque converter for an automobile having a lockup-clutch for direct driving, or the like.
Such a vibration damper assembly has already been developed that employs plural coil springs aligned circumferentially tandem with floating spacers therebetween for acquiring a large torsion angle. However, the known floating spacers are guided directly by a damper cover or the like and are circumferentially movable on the cover. Therefore, the floating spacers may jolt during the circumferential movement, or can not smoothly move, which applies an unbalanced load to the springs and deforms the springs. In order to avoid the above problems, the floating spacers may be fixed to or integrally formed by press-fitting with annular spacer supports which are arranged at both sides of an output hub. However, this structure has such disadvantages that the vibration damper assembly has a long axial size and is hard to assemble in a narrow space in a torque converter, because the spacer supports are arranged axially on both sides of the output hub.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved vibration damper assembly, overcoming the above-noted disadvantages.
The essence of the invention is to provide floating spacers which are movably supported by radially inner and outer edges of openings formed in an output hub.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention.